Le Rouge de l'Azerolle, Minervois 2024

A Minervois built around Cinsault, one of the Languedoc's older varieties that's become increasingly rare. Thankfully Raymond Julien still champions it passionately and skilfully. What the Cinsault brings here is soft elegance - delicate red fruits and silky tannins rather than the power more often seen in the Languedoc. Syrah and Grenache fill out the blend, adding structure and depth. The result shows ripe blackberry fruit married with the herby character of garrigue. It's savoury and complex, with a fine velvety structure and a gloriously juicy finish.

Good with grilled lamb, herb-roasted chicken or ratatouille - the garrigue character and juicy fruit suit Mediterranean flavours.

Château Mirausse, Raymond Julien's 13 hectare domaine is located in the heart of the Minervois to the east of Carcasonne where his gently sloping vineyards nestle between pine, olive and almond trees Quite a character, and a passionate winegrower, he's been producing some wonderfully good quality wines at pretty modest prices here for over twenty years. Cinsault and Carignan, somewhat underrated varieties but perfect for this part of the Languedoc, are what he concentrates on and he is pretty good at making really interesting wines with a distinct mediterranean personality.